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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Kara Lawson stepped into the partially walled room underneath Syracuse’s JMA Wireless Dome bleachers, quickly scanning the oddity. Above her, Duke fans had cheered a fourth consecutive victory, 71-51, that afternoon of Dec. 28. Around her, team staff flurried about the locker room and hallway, rushing to get out of town before that night’s freezing rain preceded a storm that would dump more than two feet of snow.
The Blue Devils duck weather, but not elite competition — a fact of which the entire country is aware, given a stack of poor showings that led to a 5-6 non-conference record. They unceremoniously plummeted from the ACC’s preseason Final Four contender to the most clear example of the conference’s demise. Which is why a four-game winning streak and 2-0 start on the road in ACC play that night were so notable to those in the room.
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“I’m proud of them that as we’ve navigated through adversity — and we’ll have more, we’ll have more — but we stuck together and we kept fighting,” Lawson said after the Syracuse win. “And I think that’s a big reason we’ve been able to turn it around the last four games with some wins.”
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 4: Ashlon Jackson #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
(Lance King via Getty Images)
In the week since their win streak matched their losing streak in length, Duke extended those marks to six consecutive wins, 4-0 in the ACC, and finally collected a signature win in an 82-68 victory over then-No. 18 Notre Dame on Sunday. It was their first win over an Associated Press Top 25 poll-ranked opponent in five tries and their first Quad 1 win in six attempts.
Lawson saw glimpses of this team during that losing skid that spanned a brutal three-game stretch against top-five ranked programs South Carolina, UCLA and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-college-basketball/article/ap-top-25-dukes-win-over-notre-dame-extends-win-streak-solidifies-comeback-from-rough-start-to-the-season-171620439.html
Author : Cassandra Negley
Publish date : 2026-01-05 17:16:00
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